IN YOUR OPINION

Letters to the Editor for Feb. 5, 2013

Published: Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, February 4, 2013 at 8:40 p.m.

Why was Dean in the dark?

After following the story of Dan Kuhn's fall from grace and all that has arisen since, I am wondering if anyone has thought much about former Sheriff Dean.

As the man in charge, how come he apparently “knew nothing” like the policeman in the movie “Casablanca”? If you are grooming someone to take your place, it would seem to make sense to have that person fully vetted. If Kuhn was the philanderer he has been made out to be, all Sheriff Dean would have to do was hang around the drinking fountain to find out what was going on in his department.

Also, the writer whose letter to the editor on Jan. 30 mentioned that the rehiring of retired folks to fill the top spots in the department was “idiotic” seems to have it right. But, then again, politics being what it is makes for strange bedfellows. Pun intended.

LaVerne Browand

Ocala

Ready for interrogation

What a shame we can't voice our opinion in Ocala without the possibility of being “investigated” by the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

I, along with Sandra St. Denis, voiced my opinion of Chris Blair and his cohorts. I suppose I should be waiting for my visit from his detectives.

Unfortunately, there is a possibly dangerous person out there who purportedly sent a package to the Sheriff's Office. But deeming Ms. St. Denis suspicious due to a phrase that she used is ludicrous. A sentence that was “almost like” one stated in the threatening letter. Really?

If Mr. Blair and his newly appointed “Keystone Kops” are going to interrogate all of the citizens who are disillusioned with their antics, they better get started — they have a long list.

Holly Williams

Ocala

Fair share

I read the letter, “Voting with their feet” (Jan. 31), in which the writer asked what gives the government the right to tax someone over half their income? I have a question for the writer: What was the tax rate during the Eisenhower presidency?

If you would bother to check, the marginal rate for people making over $400,00 was 91 percent — Google it and check it out.

The problem with the very rich is that for the past 32 years they have not been paying their fair share of taxes. This past year you would think they were being robbed for all the fuss that was made over their rates prior to the Bush administration.

It is time for people to pay their fair share once again. You also mention that people would start moving to countries with more freedoms. Perhaps you could tell us what country has more personal freedom than the United States?

Louis Viola

Ocala

Stop wasting our money

The March 1 Star-Banner presented a news item informing us of the attempt to repeal the Nuclear Power Cost Recovery Act. The Legislature has given a blank check to the power companies in Florida supposedly to supply financing to build new nuclear plants by charging their present users to assure us of a continuing supply of electrical energy.

The statute to which I refer is Florida Statute FLS-366.93, which includes provisions that are unconstitutional. I am a member of a group that has been fighting to get this statute repealed since its inception. We are pleased that some progress has been forthcoming by our legislators. It is a terrible shame to realize that a lot of our electrical rate charges are going into a slush fund of untold amounts to provide lobbying activities to influence our elected legislators.

A statement attributed to a spokesman for the utilities stated that “it saves our customers tremendous amounts of money, because its pay-go.” If you consider the dollars already charged the customers and collected by the utilities to build nuclear plants, where are the plants? They are nonexistent and most probably will never be built.

Most of the money already collected, now getting close to a billion dollars, has been going into the pockets of their stockholders. The statute states that the money collected does not guarantee that anything will be built and that any money collected will not have to be returned to the users.

Elvere “Tommy” Thompson

Dunnellon

Road damage

Concerning the president of The Villages developing a “hunting camp” on property near the Sharpe's Ferry bridge, he sure tore up the road. Now, will he be forced to pay for those damages and fix the road?

I remember using that side road (First Street) and seeing up to 10 heavy dump trucks in a row, day after day, pulling into his property.

I am a frequent user of that scenic pathway to the forest.

Hellen Bartholomew

Ocala

No budget, no pay

I was very happy to hear that both the U.S. House and Senate passed the No Budget-No Pay Bill (HR 310 and S 124). The No Labels (nolabels.org) provided the primary effort to push this legislation through both houses.

No Budget-No Pay is a historic and unprecedented piece of legislation. Congress has often voted to increase its salaries, but never has it acted to have its pay suspended should it fail to do its job.

Believe it or not, over the course of the last 60 years, Congress has only passed a budget resolution and the requisite appropriations bills on time for a total of four years!

This bill is not only significant for fixing government dysfunction and seriously addressing the debt situation, but it most importantly establishes a symbolic target that the American people will be watching. As the No Labels organization's logo says, “Stop Fighting — Start Fixing.”

<p><b>Why was Dean in the dark?</b></p><p>After following the story of Dan Kuhn's fall from grace and all that has arisen since, I am wondering if anyone has thought much about former Sheriff Dean.</p><p>As the man in charge, how come he apparently “knew nothing” like the policeman in the movie “Casablanca”? If you are grooming someone to take your place, it would seem to make sense to have that person fully vetted. If Kuhn was the philanderer he has been made out to be, all Sheriff Dean would have to do was hang around the drinking fountain to find out what was going on in his department.</p><p>Also, the writer whose letter to the editor on Jan. 30 mentioned that the rehiring of retired folks to fill the top spots in the department was “idiotic” seems to have it right. But, then again, politics being what it is makes for strange bedfellows. Pun intended.</p><p><i>LaVerne Browand</p><p>Ocala</i></p><p><b>Ready for interrogation</b></p><p>What a shame we can't voice our opinion in Ocala without the possibility of being “investigated” by the Marion County Sheriff's Office.</p><p>I, along with Sandra St. Denis, voiced my opinion of Chris Blair and his cohorts. I suppose I should be waiting for my visit from his detectives.</p><p>Unfortunately, there is a possibly dangerous person out there who purportedly sent a package to the Sheriff's Office. But deeming Ms. St. Denis suspicious due to a phrase that she used is ludicrous. A sentence that was “almost like” one stated in the threatening letter. Really?</p><p>If Mr. Blair and his newly appointed “Keystone Kops” are going to interrogate all of the citizens who are disillusioned with their antics, they better get started — they have a long list.</p><p><i>Holly Williams</p><p>Ocala</i></p><p><b>Fair share</b></p><p>I read the letter, “Voting with their feet” (Jan. 31), in which the writer asked what gives the government the right to tax someone over half their income? I have a question for the writer: What was the tax rate during the Eisenhower presidency?</p><p>If you would bother to check, the marginal rate for people making over $400,00 was 91 percent — Google it and check it out.</p><p>The problem with the very rich is that for the past 32 years they have not been paying their fair share of taxes. This past year you would think they were being robbed for all the fuss that was made over their rates prior to the Bush administration.</p><p>It is time for people to pay their fair share once again. You also mention that people would start moving to countries with more freedoms. Perhaps you could tell us what country has more personal freedom than the United States?</p><p><i>Louis Viola</p><p>Ocala</i></p><p><b>Stop wasting our money</b></p><p>The March 1 Star-Banner presented a news item informing us of the attempt to repeal the Nuclear Power Cost Recovery Act. The Legislature has given a blank check to the power companies in Florida supposedly to supply financing to build new nuclear plants by charging their present users to assure us of a continuing supply of electrical energy.</p><p>The statute to which I refer is Florida Statute FLS-366.93, which includes provisions that are unconstitutional. I am a member of a group that has been fighting to get this statute repealed since its inception. We are pleased that some progress has been forthcoming by our legislators. It is a terrible shame to realize that a lot of our electrical rate charges are going into a slush fund of untold amounts to provide lobbying activities to influence our elected legislators.</p><p>A statement attributed to a spokesman for the utilities stated that “it saves our customers tremendous amounts of money, because its pay-go.” If you consider the dollars already charged the customers and collected by the utilities to build nuclear plants, where are the plants? They are nonexistent and most probably will never be built.</p><p>Most of the money already collected, now getting close to a billion dollars, has been going into the pockets of their stockholders. The statute states that the money collected does not guarantee that anything will be built and that any money collected will not have to be returned to the users.</p><p><i>Elvere “Tommy” Thompson</p><p>Dunnellon</i></p><p><b>Road damage</b></p><p>Concerning the president of The Villages developing a “hunting camp” on property near the Sharpe's Ferry bridge, he sure tore up the road. Now, will he be forced to pay for those damages and fix the road?</p><p>I remember using that side road (First Street) and seeing up to 10 heavy dump trucks in a row, day after day, pulling into his property.</p><p>I am a frequent user of that scenic pathway to the forest.</p><p><i>Hellen Bartholomew</p><p>Ocala</i></p><p><b>No budget, no pay</b></p><p>I was very happy to hear that both the U.S. House and Senate passed the No Budget-No Pay Bill (HR 310 and S 124). The No Labels (nolabels.org) provided the primary effort to push this legislation through both houses.</p><p>No Budget-No Pay is a historic and unprecedented piece of legislation. Congress has often voted to increase its salaries, but never has it acted to have its pay suspended should it fail to do its job.</p><p>Believe it or not, over the course of the last 60 years, Congress has only passed a budget resolution and the requisite appropriations bills on time for a total of four years!</p><p>This bill is not only significant for fixing government dysfunction and seriously addressing the debt situation, but it most importantly establishes a symbolic target that the American people will be watching. As the No Labels organization's logo says, “Stop Fighting — Start Fixing.”</p><p><i>Peter Wood</p><p>Ocala</i></p>